Land of Volcanoes and Kings

Capturing the Mana: A Photographer's Guide

The Puako petroglyphs are a photographer's dream. But capturing their subtle beauty requires more than just pointing and shooting. The harsh midday sun of the Kohala Coast can easily wash out the shallow carvings. This leaves you with disappointing photos of flat-looking rocks. But with the right techniques and timing, you can create images that truly convey the magic of the place.

Chasing the Golden Hour

The single most important factor for photographing the petroglyphs is light. The absolute best time to visit is during the "golden hours." Early in the morning just after sunrise, or late in the afternoon before sunset. The reason for this is the low, oblique angle of the sun. This raking light casts long shadows into the shallow grooves of the carvings. Making them stand out with dramatic clarity and texture. They literally "pop" from the rock surface.

The midday sun, being directly overhead, does the exact opposite. It fills the carvings with light, erasing all shadows and making them seem to disappear. The cooler temperatures at these times also make the hike much more pleasant.

My Pro-Kit and Techniques for the Petroglyphs

When I shoot here, I come prepared. Here are a few of my go-to techniques for getting the best possible shots while respecting the site:

When photographing the Holoholokai shoreline itself, try using a slow shutter speed (with your camera on a tripod) to blur the motion of the waves crashing against the static black and white rocks. This contrast between movement and stillness can create beautifully ethereal images. And of course, the Kohala Coast is famous for its fiery sunsets. So be ready when the sky puts on its nightly show.

The Land of Volcanoes and Kings

To truly appreciate Puako, it helps to understand its place in the grander story of the Big Island. A story of epic geology and legendary royalty.

The Canvas of Creation: A Geological Story

The land beneath your feet is ancient. The petroglyphs are carved into the smooth, rolling surfaces of pāhoehoe lava flows that erupted from the Kohala volcano. The oldest of the five volcanoes that form the island of Hawaiʻi. At an estimated one million years old, Kohala is so ancient that its rocks have recorded the last reversal of the Earth's magnetic poles. This happened 780,000 years ago.

The specific lava flows at Puako belong to the Hawi and Pololu volcanic series. These cooled to form a perfect, durable canvas for the ancient artists. Standing on this ground, you are standing on a surface that has been waiting for centuries to have its stories told. This deep-time context adds a profound sense of scale to the experience. It connects the human history of the petroglyphs to the immense geological history of the island itself.

Echoes of Aliʻi: Legends of the Coast

This coastline is not just geologically significant. It is steeped in history and legend. The North Kohala district is the revered birthplace of King Kamehameha I. The great chief who first united the Hawaiian Islands into a single kingdom in the late 18th century. Chants tell of his dramatic birth nearby at Kokoiki. Marked by a comet streaking across the sky. How he was hidden in the rugged valleys of this region to protect him from rival chiefs who saw him as a threat.

The area was also a stage for the drama of island politics. The legends recorded in the Fornander Collection of Hawaiian Antiquities and Folk-Lore tell of great battles fought along this coast. Between the warriors of Hawaiʻi Island and invading chiefs from Maui. Stories like that of Punia, a clever hero from Kohala who outwitted a great shark-king named Kaialeale, are woven into the fabric of this place.